Takeaways: Purdue Basketball's exhibition loss at Arkansas

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Sure, No. 3 Purdue would have loved to have won its charity-game exhibition at 14th-ranked Arkansas Saturday afternoon. In an environment that reminded of both a Big Ten road game and a second- or third-round NCAA Tournament game.

And the Boilermakers almost did win, having led by three with 37 seconds in regulation.

But the Razorbacks’ Trevon Mark tied it with a difficult three, setting up overtime, Arkansas ultimately prevailing 81-77.

PDF: Purdue-Arkansas stats

What stood out in the Boilermakers’ first public appearance, a game that will not count and was prepared for more as a developmental experience than anything.

“This was great for our team because it’s real,” Coach Matt Painter said. “You see real problems on this box score and now it’s not like you didn’t go blast somebody by 40 points and you feel good about yourself, you’re nationally ranked. It means nothing. It means absolutely nothing. It’s fool’s gold. This isn’t fool’s gold. We got beat. It was in a hostile crowd, but we were also in a position to win the game and we didn’t. We have to learn from that.”

PURDUE HAS TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF THE BASKETBALL

The reason you get a team like Arkansas on your schedule: To try your guards by fire. Not just your guards, but your whole team.

The press was barely an issue for Purdue, but Arkansas aggressiveness, energy, physicality and superior athleticism did play a role in the Boilermakers turning the ball over 20 times, seven of them from point guard Braden Smith, though the last one was just a throwaway statistic as the final buzzer was about to sound.

Arkansas played a role in Purdue’s turnover bug — completely offsetting a massive rebounding advantage — but not everything. Purdue could have been more poised, sharper in its decision-making and so on. The frontcourt accounted for 10 turnovers, maybe a reflection of this game getting a bit fast at times.

“Arkansas’ pressure was good,” Painter said. “They got after us and we were careless.”

If there’s benefit in vulnerabilities being exposed in games like this, here’s Exhibit A for Purdue.

A DOMINANT REBOUNDING EFFORT

Arkansas got one offensive rebound and no second-chance points in a 45-minute game, though shooting 51 percent helped.

Even with Zach Edey not going as much as he would have in a real game or sans foul trouble, Purdue still controlled the glass by a wide margin.

PURDUE WAS EXPOSED A BIT DEFENSIVELY

Arkansas made some difficult shots and benefited from some open-court opportunities created by Purdue’s turnovers, but the Boilermakers did struggle to keep the Razorbacks’ superior athleticism out of the lane. Arkansas got 34 points in the paint but many more off plays initiated by drive-and-kick situations, which started with breakdowns against the dribble.

Arkansas looked to switch into matchups and make one-on-one plays, making enough of them to win.

FLETCHER LOYER CAME ALIVE AFTER HALFTIME

Mason Gillis made a series of shots in the second half after Purdue missed 13 straight three-pointers bracketing halftime, but Fletcher Loyer was really a driving force behind the Boilermakers having a chance to win at the end of regulation.

Loyer scored a game-best-tying 15 points against maybe the most vicious man-to-man defense he’ll see all season. Bodied up and pressured constantly, the sophomore was clever and effective in driving past defenders and scoring in the lane, making 6-of-13 shots for the game, with just one of Purdue’s 20 turnovers.

Arkansas did attack him some on defense, but they made shots regardless of whether it was Loyer or Ethan Morton — Painter was offense-defense subbing — out there.

A MAJOR POSITIVE

Purdue played without Zach Edey a lot in this game. Not only did the wheels not come off, but the Boilermakers barely dropped off competitively, if at all. That doesn’t happen last year, when Purdue was more reliant on one player more than anyone in college basketball, probably.

That said, Purdue needs Edey on the floor in games that count and needs him getting his shots. He took the fifth-most shots on his team Saturday. Circumstances were what they were and Arkansas did a good job making it hard (and got away with a lot of contact), but Purdue has to make sure it’s playing through its foundational guy.

THE FOUL LINE

Not a great day at the foul line for Purdue, 17-of-25. It wanted more calls in its favor, sure, but this was a road game in every sense of the terms and Purdue didn’t held itself with sub-70-percent shooting.

Trey Kaufman-Renn was 1-of-4. In a vacuum, no big deal. But he really struggled in Europe also and has been seen shooting a lot of free throws after practices. Obviouslt something he’s working to improve, and needs to, given his contact-magnet skill set.

Purdue did start Kaufman-Renn alongside Edey, but Gillis closed the game at the 4. The nature of this game — pace, pressure, athleticism, length — may not have played to Kaufman-Renn’s strengths the way traditional Big Ten play might.

BRADEN SMITH’S TRIGGER

Purdue wants Braden Smith looking to score and he is clearly taking it to heart, pulling up early and often in either transition or pick-and-roll with Edey. Smith was just 3-of-10 from the floor, but Purdue is looking for a mindset there first and foremost. He did make a huge play — at the time — getting to the foul line in the final minutes of regulation, and making both, putting his team up three.